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"a deeply expressive voice"
-Siobhán long -The Irish Times

"a man of great imagination"
-Dai Jeffries - Folking.com

"truly extraordinary” 
- David Kidman  -The Living Tradition

" an astonishing new voice" 
- Michael Quinn -Songlines

"Spine-tingling"  
-FRoots

 

 

 

 

 

In brief

Lorcán Mac Mathúna is a singer, writer, and arranger whose work confounds categorisation. Working extensively in the realm of improvised music, with many stylistic inspiration derived of sean-nós vocal techniques and musical philosophy; his music is tonally rich, nuanced, and dynamic.

His work has included arrangements based on airs in the oral vocal tradition; contemporary music composition; writing collaborations ; improvisational and electronic music: and compositional theory development.

His accomplishments have included four commissioned compositions; four albums and counting; the feature track on a No. 1 album; numerous tours; and a winning song in the ISC 2012.

 

lorcán profileabout | read more

An attendee at the premier performance of one of Lorcán’s projects, An Táin, described the effect of his voice:

"Lorcan MacMathuna gathers from the air something which is older than the Tain - ageless, primaeval and haunting. He has caught and manifest for us a sound which is fundamental; which has existed since men and women first sang - sang to express what they felt and what they knew to be true. It is the music of mythology - all the cadences of history and prehistory residing in one man's voice. It calls to the soul. And the soul answers. And we are privileged to listen and to hear in our own blood and in the fibres of our understanding."

From the cradle Lorcán Mac Mathúna was surrounded read more

 

videos etc | view more

"An raibh tú ag an gCarraig," a traditional song of lost love, played with collaborator Seán Mac Fhir Léinn in DLight studios in Dublin in 2013.

For selection of beautiful videos from a cross selection of different collaborations and projects visit the videos page

 

 

 

what people have said | reviews / testimonies

"It's powerful and stark, like it's been hewn out of the earth. Caoineadh Fherdia is like sitting with a death rattle; the lamentation gets you in the guts and bones... reminded me of the laments for the fallen played on the Northumbrian pipes on Remembrance Sunday; you've mined a deep tradition, but not in a stylised way - it's more visceral than that." -read testimonies

reviews Lorcán Mac Mathúna
"every now and again you need to be challenged and shaken from your reverie. You need to expose yourself to people that take a different direction and manage to take you with them. Lorcán and company have pushed the boundary but not to the point where they lose you. They have opened the door a little, and you have taken a glimpse..." - more reviews

 

projects/accomplishments| read more

projects lorcan mac mathuna

With roots in sean-nós and traditional singing, and a destination far beyond in improvisation and composition, Lorcán Mac Mathúna, constantly pushes boundaries. Boundaries of what is conventionally accepted as tradition; and the boundaries of genre and creativity. His projects are not just about great music; they are also about compelling stories, and exploration.- Exploration of culture, identity, and art. find out about Lorcán's projects